Death of a program

[NEO]

How close is UT to becoming a dead football program?

This is a serious question.

There have been football programs in the past like Army, Navy, Minnesota, SMU that we’re at the very top.

Minnesota claims 7 national championships. We can debate the 7 but the fact is they use to be very good. Now, they are honestly nothing.

So how many more years of this can happen before the stadium gets empty, the fans stop caring, and suddenly 7 or 6 wins becomes the acceptable norm?

The 7 or 6 win norm part I think is very close to happening, I fear.

What are you honest thoughts on how much more time TN has to turn this around?

 

[McDad]

How close is UT to becoming a dead football program?

This is a serious question.

There have been football programs in the past like Army, Navy, Minnesota, SMU that we’re at the very top.

Minnesota claims 7 national championships. We can debate the 7 but the fact is they use to be very good. Now, they are honestly nothing.

So how many more years of this can happen before the stadium gets empty, the fans stop caring, and suddenly 7 or 6 wins becomes the acceptable norm?

The 7 or 6 win norm part I think is very close to happening, I fear.

What are you honest thoughts on how much more time TN has to turn this around?

If Penn State can recover, we can. We arent close to dying forever simply because of pur conference and our proximity to fertile recruiting.

 

[volfannbama]

Tennesse is irrelevant in its current state.

Good thing is things can change very quickly. A solid season next year and it could revive itself quickly.

Army/Navy isnt a fair comparison. The game passed then by but its due to many factors. Service academy are extremely limited on recruiting athletes due to unwavering standards. Their limemen have to have weight waivers just to compete. Besides that the consistently field competitive teams.

 

[coffeevol]

I have been a fan my entire life but it is getting to a point where it no longer controls my weekend. I look forward to the start every year and by week 4 I am dead inside as a vol fan. To see Bama at the level they are and to see us at the level where we are currently at I just can't make my self care that much for the rest of the year

 

[NEO]

Penn state puts football success very high on their agenda, maybe too high.

Ut clearly puts football nowhere near the top which is why I fear it’s dead.

They have the money to fix this but they are running out of time.

 

[NEO]

I have been a fan my entire life but it is getting to a point where it no longer controls my weekend. I look forward to the start every year and by week 4 I am dead inside as a vol fan. To see Bama at the level they are and to see us at the level where we are currently at I just can't make my self care that much for the rest of the year

Right there with you......

 

[VolAllen]

When you see the attendance go from 102,455 to 95,000 to 85,000 to 70,000....then you’ll know.

Butch Jones’ 9 win seasons helped keep it afloat, but 4-8 followed by 3-9 could be the beginning of the end.

 

[OnlyGodForgives]

How close is UT to becoming a dead football program?

This is a serious question.

There have been football programs in the past like Army, Navy, Minnesota, SMU that we’re at the very top.

Minnesota claims 7 national championships. We can debate the 7 but the fact is they use to be very good. Now, they are honestly nothing.

So how many more years of this can happen before the stadium gets empty, the fans stop caring, and suddenly 7 or 6 wins becomes the acceptable norm?

The 7 or 6 win norm part I think is very close to happening, I fear.

What are you honest thoughts on how much more time TN has to turn this around?

I think it's worth considering where tackle football itself is in its life cycle. Nothing lasts forever, and the regulatory wolves are definitely howling. Still much money to be made, but for how long?

 

[VolNavy01]

I don't think it is dead, but it is running on empty. Mostly in part to the admin decision makers. Bad hire after bad hire. Folks need to remember many traditional power teams have hit low points. USC, UCLA, Bama(yes Bama), Nebraska, Florida, Georgia, Clemson, Texas, LSU, Notre Dame..........the list is long and distguinshed. The service academies are a whole other story. We are not dead but we are not relevant, that's for sure. But with the right hire, it will not take long. Hopefully Pruitt can right the ship. If not, maybe the next guy.

 

[wmcovol]

When you see the attendance go from 102,455 to 95,000 to 85,000 to 70,000....then you’ll know.

Butch Jones’ 9 win seasons helped keep it afloat, but 4-8 followed by 3-9 could be the beginning of the end.

Bama will fill the house and so will Ky (yeah they'll come down from the hills for the indoor bathrooms and a Cat win). Other than that, i doubt they'll be 90K for the other home games left. Pretty sad when the visitors fill you place up so they can see a win....

 

[Voltopia]

 

[Cartervol]

Won't be a lot of fans at the remaining games. This last hire was important and the dummies couldn't quit tripping over their own egos long enough to not turn it into a absolute circus.. The University side and one meddlesome booster seemed to be content on keeping it in the dumpster. Schiano was a BS choice and he was their choice. Only way you fix it is to get rid of that type of thinking.

 

[VolunteerCeltic]

Fan apathy has been building for 10 years now, you will see it build even more this season. I think a lot of the UT faithful will find something else better to do on Football Saturdays after the GA beat-down this coming Saturday, dont kid yourself, there is a sickness in this program and it has infiltrated all levels of the Football team and administration. Neyland Stadium was once the pinnacle of college football, you will see it filled with Bama fans when they come to town and if Kentucky keeps winning, it will be filled with Kentucky Blue. Recruiting will suffer and that is also an extension of apathy towards the program......

 

[marvin616]

I see a lot of similarities between UT and Nebraska. 2 traditional powers that have slipped out of contention over the last decade or more. Both are still heavily invested in football but just can't seem to get things to click back in place. Both are in conferences with other traditional powers that have an edge over them in recruiting because of the schools location. Although I think if Nebraska stayed in the Big XII they may have not fallen on such hard times.

With that said, if my memory serves me, I believe Nebraska's problems started a few years before UT's and they're still hanging on. So UT still has at least half a decade before irrelevance really starts to set in.

More than anything I don't think UT can survive another coaching change in the next 4-5 years.

 

[BowlBrother85]

How close is UT to becoming a dead football program?

This is a serious question.

There have been football programs in the past like Army, Navy, Minnesota, SMU that we’re at the very top.

Minnesota claims 7 national championships. We can debate the 7 but the fact is they use to be very good. Now, they are honestly nothing.

So how many more years of this can happen before the stadium gets empty, the fans stop caring, and suddenly 7 or 6 wins becomes the acceptable norm?

The 7 or 6 win norm part I think is very close to happening, I fear.

What are you honest thoughts on how much more time TN has to turn this around?

Does Minnesota claim a 102,000 seat stadium and our facilities? Do they claim our fan base and playing in the best conference? Has it only been 20 years since they won a National Championship? Has it only been two years since they had back to back 9 win seasons? We have the resources. We need the right coach.

 

[VolNavy01]

Won't be a lot of fans at the remaining games. This last hire was important and the dummies couldn't quit tripping over their own egos long enough to not turn it into a absolute circus.. The University side and one meddlesome booster seemed to be content on keeping it in the dumpster. Schiano was a BS choice and he was their choice. Only way you fix it is to get rid of that type of thinking.

I'm in the belief that the jury is still out on this hire. I guarantee many people thought Chip Kelly was the answer, well UCLA is going through growing pains. Nebraska...ouch, Frost and Kelly both have rebuilds ahead.

 

[JonGrudensAgent]

Closing in on a generation that hasn't seen the Vols enjoy real success. Backing into SECCG in 2007 and Belk Bowl wins really don't count as real success in my book.

If Pruitt isn't the guy, then this program isn't going to recover any time soon and it'll get a lot worse before it gets better IMO.

 

[VolFan..But]

I don't think it is dead, but it is running on empty. Mostly in part to the admin decision makers. Bad hire after bad hire. Folks need to remember many traditional power teams have hit low points. USC, UCLA, Bama(yes Bama), Nebraska, Florida, Georgia, Clemson, Texas, LSU, Notre Dame..........the list is long and distguinshed. The service academies are a whole other story. We are not dead but we are not relevant, that's for sure. But with the right hire, it will not take long. Hopefully Pruitt can right the ship. If not, maybe the next guy.

Many of these programs where down for 10, 20 and in the case of USC, closer to 30 years. After destroying the program in 2008, we are in the midst. It will be back. Back is relative. It never was elite except for the Hall of Famer's reign.

 

[landscapingvol]

We are already there. The blame lies with a lot of people including the fans, players, coaches, AD, and the University leadership. The fans were wrong for clamoring to have Fulmer fired and for the Schiano fiasco. The AD should have never listened to either. We have become a liability in some ways. A lot of former players either openly criticize the university or do not support it especially more current alumni. Several terrible coaches in a row have created an unending cycle of poor play and atmosphere of losing. Mike Hamilton and Dave Hart were terrible hires. The university hasn’t supported the football program with the level of support that is necessary to compete annually in the SEC which has led to a decrease in funding and support for other sports as well. The National landscape has changed in terms of perception when it comes to UT football. This generation views UT as irrelevant and they aren’t wrong. There are only a couple former Vols that are still relevant in the NFL and there is no hope of that changing anytime soon on the horizon. Many recruits have either left UT and had better results or stayed and grossly underperformed.

 

[EastTN]

there was a time I planned my whole weekend around what time the VOLS play. But as posted earlier in this thread, by week 4-5 I am so sick of ruining my entire Saturday just to watch a pathetic excuse for a football team. I understand what kind of a mess Pruitt was left with, and it will take a few years to re-build. But I can not continue to put everything off, and spend my hard earned money for a product such as this week after week. I just can't, being a VOL fan is very tiring.

 

[EastTN]

But to answer the thread ?, we have to give Pruitt time as tiring as that may be. Because if we run him off this program will be dead for ever in my opinion. It is on life support as it is

 

[Cartervol]

I'm in the belief that the jury is still out on this hire. I guarantee many people thought Chip Kelly was the answer, well UCLA is going through growing pains. Nebraska...ouch, Frost and Kelly both have rebuilds ahead.

Sure the jury is still out on Pruitt. He needs time to clean up what looks to be another mess by yet another overpaid coach. Doesn't mean he's the guy but he'll get his time whether he is or not..

 

[lifeVol]

A third of the way into a rebuilding season is too early to be making long term forecasts imo. If the turnovers and score were reversed in the last game some on here would be forecasting when the next natty would happen....we haven't even got past the start of the beginning yet and there's a lot of recruiting and coaching ahead...go Vols

 

[VOLINVONORE]

How close is UT to becoming a dead football program?

This is a serious question.

There have been football programs in the past like Army, Navy, Minnesota, SMU that we’re at the very top.

Minnesota claims 7 national championships. We can debate the 7 but the fact is they use to be very good. Now, they are honestly nothing.

So how many more years of this can happen before the stadium gets empty, the fans stop caring, and suddenly 7 or 6 wins becomes the acceptable norm?

The 7 or 6 win norm part I think is very close to happening, I fear.

What are you honest thoughts on how much more time TN has to turn this around?

About 9-10 years ago.

 

[CTVolsfan14]

It always comes down to the almighty $. As long as there is funding, resources, facilities, stadium, donor dollars, recruiting budgets ect.. the program isn't dead no matter how much of a laughing stock we are on the field.

When the financial support behind that stops.. that's when it's officially dead.